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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / He Has a Name

He Has a Name

by John Cole|  July 17, 201310:34 pm| 143 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging

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I’d called him this a couple times while petting him earlier, and was sitting here watching tv and it hit me, so I walked to his bedroom door, with Lily and Rosie next to me looking in, and said “Come here, Boss. Here, kitty kitty.” And this is what happened:

boss

Say hello to Boss. It was meant to be.

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Previous Post: « And, In Another Dog Bites Man Headline, Our Blogfather Was Wrong
Next Post: Because It Is Never Too Soon To Drug Your Cat »

Reader Interactions

143Comments

  1. 1.

    gbear

    July 17, 2013 at 10:35 pm

    Glad to hear it wasn’t ‘Kitty Kitty’.

    Kitty, by the way, was my grandmother’s name. In contrast, my boss is an asshole. Hope your Boss works out better.

  2. 2.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    July 17, 2013 at 10:35 pm

    Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

  3. 3.

    NotMax

    July 17, 2013 at 10:36 pm

    Silver lining of sorts: Blog infection was the impetus to finally spend a little time finishing leveling my pandaren monk up to 90.

    So, thanks.

    re: cat creature – looks like a Philo to me.

  4. 4.

    Desert Rat

    July 17, 2013 at 10:36 pm

    Good name.

  5. 5.

    Redshirt

    July 17, 2013 at 10:37 pm

    I’m calling him “Hoss” for now.

  6. 6.

    Kay (not the front-pager)

    July 17, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    Perfect!

  7. 7.

    Manyakitty

    July 17, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    Outstanding. May his fur fill your vacuum for many years to come.

  8. 8.

    Princess Leia

    July 17, 2013 at 10:38 pm

    Soon to be Boss Hogg!!!!

  9. 9.

    lamh36

    July 17, 2013 at 10:39 pm

    Cute name.

    First thing to come to mind when I heard it: Bossy

  10. 10.

    NotMax

    July 17, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    @Princess Leia

    Or Boss Tweed.

  11. 11.

    Jennifer

    July 17, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    Boss Catwright.

  12. 12.

    Princess Leia

    July 17, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    @NotMax: Perfect!

  13. 13.

    asiangrrlMN

    July 17, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    Might as well call him what he is, but he’ll always be Sir Sylvester Whiskerton III to me. Welcome home, sweetie!

  14. 14.

    Violet

    July 17, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    Love it! We already knew who was Boss. Might as well make it official.

  15. 15.

    Violet

    July 17, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    Guessing he’ll be a Springsteen fan, then?

  16. 16.

    The Dangerman

    July 17, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    From Bugger to Boss; usually it goes the other direction.

  17. 17.

    erlking

    July 17, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    Mazel tof. The two of you, you should be happy together.

  18. 18.

    AliceBlue

    July 17, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    All hail Boss! Welcome!

  19. 19.

    Roger Moore

    July 17, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    He doesn’t think “Boss” is his name; all cats think “Boss” is their title.

  20. 20.

    Violet

    July 17, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    Does he seem to like his new home? How are the doggies adapting?

  21. 21.

    amk

    July 17, 2013 at 10:43 pm

    How do you know that he didn’t respond to Here, kitty kitty ? You blew it.

  22. 22.

    Trentrunner

    July 17, 2013 at 10:44 pm

    Life goes on. :)

  23. 23.

    Jean

    July 17, 2013 at 10:45 pm

    Oh, he’s handsome! I missed all the cat news because of “malware” warnings and am now catching up. “Boss” is perfect. Do Rosie and Lily know that’s a name and not a title?

  24. 24.

    catclub

    July 17, 2013 at 10:46 pm

    “his bedroom door,”

    Bossy Boy would soon appear in the lexicon at my house. Also variants: Bossypants.

  25. 25.

    SIA

    July 17, 2013 at 10:46 pm

    @Jennifer: purrfect

  26. 26.

    Jennifer

    July 17, 2013 at 10:46 pm

    @amk: All pets have multiple names, don’t they? My kitty’s given name is Eartha Kitty; she also answers to Scootie, Scoots, Scoots Toots, Tootie, Kittywumps, Keywumps, Sweetie, Kitty, and a few more I’m not thinking of at the moment.

  27. 27.

    catclub

    July 17, 2013 at 10:47 pm

    Of course, I think it was the Unix fortunes that point out that a boss is an ornamental knob.

  28. 28.

    CaseyL

    July 17, 2013 at 10:47 pm

    Bosscat.

    He does have the slightly-scowling look of a Boss. It might just be the angle of the photograph, but my kitty Jeannie has the same built-in srs-bzness expression.

    It will be fun when you go running around the neighborhood calling for him.

  29. 29.

    catclub

    July 17, 2013 at 10:48 pm

    @Jennifer: yes.

  30. 30.

    Jebediah

    July 17, 2013 at 10:49 pm

    As it should be… I look forward to seeing what other nicknames he ends up earning himself.

  31. 31.

    Steve V

    July 17, 2013 at 10:49 pm

    I love the name!

  32. 32.

    catclub

    July 17, 2013 at 10:49 pm

    @Jennifer: Upset stomach: Tossy Bossy

  33. 33.

    MomSense

    July 17, 2013 at 10:49 pm

    Like a Boss!

    Those paws are fabulous! Wooo Hooo!

  34. 34.

    Redshirt

    July 17, 2013 at 10:50 pm

    Names are weird, like now. Surely, Boss is not his real name. Nor was it Bagger or Bugger either. We don’t know what it is, but we pretend we can name things.

    Is your name real? Ever had a nickname take precedence over your “real” name? Ever changed names?

    Weird.

  35. 35.

    Bobby Thomson

    July 17, 2013 at 10:51 pm

    @NotMax: Bears a certain resemblance.

  36. 36.

    Valdivia

    July 17, 2013 at 10:51 pm

    perfect!

  37. 37.

    pat

    July 17, 2013 at 10:52 pm

    Hey, weren’t you planning on going blog-less for a few days? And leaving us all in the lurch, checking every day to see if there was any news of you? And we were all so sorry for you in your Dutch oven of grief with your goggies, and then in less that a week here we are welcoming a new…

    Boss of the Blog.

    Much better.

  38. 38.

    boss bitch

    July 17, 2013 at 10:53 pm

    I like the name. Remember that pic of Tunch when he was a year old? Can you take a pic like that of Boss? a full frontal pic?

  39. 39.

    Culture of Truth

    July 17, 2013 at 10:56 pm

    Who’s the boss?
    Yes
    That’s what I’m asking – what’s the boss’ name?
    Yes
    Who?
    The boss
    Yes
    That’s his name?
    Yes
    The boss?
    Exactly

  40. 40.

    Eljai

    July 17, 2013 at 10:57 pm

    He is his own feline to be sure. And yet, that expression. It has a certain tunchitude.
    Ah, the circle of life.

  41. 41.

    Elie

    July 17, 2013 at 10:58 pm

    You did good. May both of you find the connection we so yearn. He is a brown tabby so I feel very good that Boss will be great…

  42. 42.

    Culture of Truth

    July 17, 2013 at 10:58 pm

    Boss rules this house.

    or if he doesn’t, he soon will.

  43. 43.

    joel hanes

    July 17, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    Going to get me a Boss cat
    One gonna treat me right
    Work hard in the daytime
    Sure get stoned at night

    Big Boss cat
    Can’t you hear me when I call ?

  44. 44.

    forked tongue

    July 17, 2013 at 11:00 pm

    Paid the cost to be the Boss.

  45. 45.

    Culture of Truth

    July 17, 2013 at 11:01 pm

    “You know, just because you’re named ‘Boss’ doesn’t mean…

    awwww.. screw it…”

  46. 46.

    Jay C

    July 17, 2013 at 11:01 pm

    Congratulations, John: we all need a Boss we can look up to……

  47. 47.

    forked tongue

    July 17, 2013 at 11:02 pm

    But given how much Cole got bossed around by a cat named Tunch, I look forward with a somewhat depraved interest to seeing how much he’ll become the bitch of a cat named Boss.

  48. 48.

    Kazanir

    July 17, 2013 at 11:03 pm

    Good for you, John. :)

  49. 49.

    A Ghost To Most

    July 17, 2013 at 11:03 pm

    I think we have a case where your name for him is the same as his name for him.

  50. 50.

    Michele C.

    July 17, 2013 at 11:05 pm

    @Bobby Thomson: indeed!

  51. 51.

    JWL

    July 17, 2013 at 11:05 pm

    Weird. Honest to God, seconds prior to surfing once again into Balloon Juice, I clicked onto a recording of E Street’s Pink Cadillac. I’m listening to it now, as I type.

    Weird, huh?

  52. 52.

    khead

    July 17, 2013 at 11:06 pm

    All cats should be named Boss because, well, they are the boss.

  53. 53.

    forked tongue

    July 17, 2013 at 11:07 pm

    Such is the state of meritocracy in America. A completely unknown, unproven cat moves in and is immediately awarded the perks of a Boss.

  54. 54.

    Scotty

    July 17, 2013 at 11:07 pm

    Boss already? Why are you always subordinate to your cats?

  55. 55.

    MacKenna

    July 17, 2013 at 11:08 pm

    Aw, he’s a sweet kitty kat… How about Baby for a middle name: Boss Baby Cole.

  56. 56.

    Sparky

    July 17, 2013 at 11:12 pm

    Boss, huh?

  57. 57.

    Culture of Truth

    July 17, 2013 at 11:13 pm

    Speaking of boss, it’s 105 degress but Tiger wants the windows open, so… no AC.
    I may die tonight because of this formerly stray homeless kitten.

  58. 58.

    Suzanne

    July 17, 2013 at 11:13 pm

    Huzzah!

    I like the name.

    My mom named her cat similarly. She couldn’t think of a name, so a few hours after bringing kitty home, she said (in her best Hannibal Lecter voice), “Hello, Clarice”. We instantly recognized that Clarice was The Name. Of course, now she’s also Reese, Reese-A-Roni, Sassypants, and many others.

  59. 59.

    Emerald

    July 17, 2013 at 11:14 pm

    Can’t wait to learn how he bosses the doggies around.

    Because he’s a Maine Coon cat. He will.

  60. 60.

    trollhattan

    July 17, 2013 at 11:15 pm

    Needed to be one syllable. “Boss” works. Come to think of it, Boss lounges, big pink thing works.

    Perfect.

    And, congrats!

  61. 61.

    ranchandsyrup

    July 17, 2013 at 11:15 pm

    You’ve been embossed.

  62. 62.

    Leslie

    July 17, 2013 at 11:16 pm

    Hey there, Boss; you are a fine-lookin’ feline. My best-beloved kitty Chaucer, who left me last December, was a tabby, and it’s my personal prejudiced opinion that they are a special kind of cat. You look like you have a little of his attitude.

  63. 63.

    Leslie

    July 17, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    Oh, also, I don’t know if there’s some way we’re supposed to report these things, but there are a couple of broken images on earlier posts — the one of Tunch on the Insane MARC update thread, and the one of Sasha climbing the cat tree.

  64. 64.

    condorcet runner up

    July 17, 2013 at 11:18 pm

    awesome!

  65. 65.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    July 17, 2013 at 11:18 pm

    Bosskitteh!!

  66. 66.

    eemom

    July 17, 2013 at 11:22 pm

    [feeble lawyer joke about generic trademarks]

  67. 67.

    Face

    July 17, 2013 at 11:22 pm

    So you have a boss all day at work, and now have a “Boss” at home, too? And you’re not even married?

  68. 68.

    MaryJane

    July 17, 2013 at 11:22 pm

    Hello there Boss! You are a handsome and lucky fella.

  69. 69.

    Pika

    July 17, 2013 at 11:22 pm

    Beautiful: cat, act, man.

  70. 70.

    maya

    July 17, 2013 at 11:23 pm

    And when Lily and Rosie do something they should do they can now blame it on the Boss-a-nova.

  71. 71.

    Punchy

    July 17, 2013 at 11:23 pm

    Can we get a British Open thread?

  72. 72.

    MaryJane

    July 17, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    @maya:

    Lol

  73. 73.

    master c

    July 17, 2013 at 11:25 pm

    so glad for you John.

  74. 74.

    Johannes

    July 17, 2013 at 11:25 pm

    Congrats and many happy years of being bossed around!

  75. 75.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    July 17, 2013 at 11:25 pm

    I still say you should have named him Kaepernick.

  76. 76.

    Karen in GA (who really needs a better name)

    July 17, 2013 at 11:26 pm

    Gorgeous. And perfect name.

  77. 77.

    SIA

    July 17, 2013 at 11:27 pm

    @JWL: I was listening to Asbury Park while working today. One of the best shows ever, Springsteen in a smallish auditorium in Kansas City MO, circa 1976-77 IIRC. YAY BOSS!

  78. 78.

    melissaD

    July 17, 2013 at 11:28 pm

    I do like the nickname of BossyPants, he has, as a commenter noted, a Tunchitude look in that pix

  79. 79.

    Repsac3

    July 17, 2013 at 11:28 pm

    Let us know when Boss has chosen his name for you. 8>)

  80. 80.

    Mike E

    July 17, 2013 at 11:29 pm

    Heh. That was the name of our female cat back before Miss E came on the scene; Miller (a la Repo Man) was the other furball. Good’ern.

    He has, I’m sure, already adopted the house name for you: Staff.

  81. 81.

    Redshirt

    July 17, 2013 at 11:29 pm

    Sure thing, Boss.

    Comin’ right up, Boss.

  82. 82.

    Repsac3

    July 17, 2013 at 11:30 pm

    Now all that remains is to let us know when Boss has chosen his name for you.

  83. 83.

    kideni

    July 17, 2013 at 11:30 pm

    Well, to cats we are merely the staff, so it’s only appropriate that you acknowledge his title.

  84. 84.

    angelfoot

    July 17, 2013 at 11:31 pm

    @Leslie: Tabbies are the best. Good choice, Mr. Cole.

  85. 85.

    Gex

    July 17, 2013 at 11:31 pm

    Perfect. Next one will be named King or Your Highness.

  86. 86.

    Jebediah

    July 17, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    @Redshirt:

    Pretty weird stuff, indeed. My bong and I must converse about it.

  87. 87.

    Jebediah

    July 17, 2013 at 11:34 pm

    @A Ghost To Most:

    I think we have a case where your name for him is the same as his name for him.

    Speaking of names… is your nym related to the DBT song?

  88. 88.

    Perfect Tommy

    July 17, 2013 at 11:34 pm

    Congrats John
    Also too – Someone should update the Tunch entry in the lexicon and such

  89. 89.

    Keith

    July 17, 2013 at 11:35 pm

    I had a co-worker call a new employee that once a few weeks ago, and now the new guy keeps calling him ‘Boss” in every conversation. Drives me up a wall.

  90. 90.

    Jebediah

    July 17, 2013 at 11:36 pm

    @eemom:

    [feeble lawyer joke about generic trademarks]

    [polite chuckle]

  91. 91.

    lojasmo

    July 17, 2013 at 11:39 pm

    I think his name is “kitty kitty”

  92. 92.

    lojasmo

    July 17, 2013 at 11:40 pm

    There is a wonderful african fellow who calls all us charge nurses “boss”. It drives me nuts.

  93. 93.

    Redshirt

    July 17, 2013 at 11:42 pm

    @Jebediah: Yeah, man. I mean, ya ever really look at your ears? Or at cat ears? Or think about ears, in general? Weird shit, man.

  94. 94.

    Steeplejack

    July 17, 2013 at 11:42 pm

    Welcome to the “Big Boss Man”!

  95. 95.

    wasabi gasp

    July 17, 2013 at 11:42 pm

    Boss Anova

  96. 96.

    Redshirt

    July 17, 2013 at 11:44 pm

    @lojasmo: Me too, since I’m sure there’s been quite a few people at various times and places who said to him “Here, Kitty Kitty”. I bet most cats think their name is Here Kitty Kitty.

  97. 97.

    Beckya57

    July 17, 2013 at 11:44 pm

    Perfect! So glad for you! I’m sure Tunch is watching from above….

  98. 98.

    Beckya57

    July 17, 2013 at 11:46 pm

    @Jean: Whaddya mean that’s not a title???

  99. 99.

    Spaghetti Lee

    July 17, 2013 at 11:47 pm

    Is he sweating it out on the streets of a runaway American dream?

  100. 100.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    July 17, 2013 at 11:51 pm

    @Redshirt: Walter John Williams wrote a book about that, our need to name things. The book was meh (beyond the awesome concept of have two simultaneous personas so one could be in the virtual world), but the idea that we have to name something to control it has stuck with me.

  101. 101.

    Jebediah

    July 17, 2013 at 11:51 pm

    @Redshirt:
    aw hell, now you’ve done it…. come here Juno…

  102. 102.

    YellowJournalism

    July 17, 2013 at 11:52 pm

    First name “The,” right?

  103. 103.

    Mnemosyne

    July 17, 2013 at 11:53 pm

    @Sparky:

    I love Jack Benny.

    Jack Benny was the kind of boss who insisted on hiring a black man to be on his radio show in the 19-freakin’-30s when radio executives were sure the Southern states would boycott the show if they knew there was a real live black man talking and not a white man pretending to be black. And he continued working with Eddie Anderson for the next 30 years.

    That’s the kind of boss Benny was.

  104. 104.

    kc

    July 17, 2013 at 11:55 pm

    Pics of Tunch in previous posts are not showing up. Something to do with the malware?

  105. 105.

    Wayne t

    July 17, 2013 at 11:57 pm

    I was half expecting his name might be Malware.
    To memorize his monumental arrival.
    This is as exciting as the royal baby.
    boss has arrived.

  106. 106.

    Genine

    July 17, 2013 at 11:58 pm

    Congrats, John!

  107. 107.

    VodkaGoGo

    July 17, 2013 at 11:58 pm

    Cute Kitty. A bit shaggier but he reminds me of my cat Dinzo who I lost last year.

  108. 108.

    Mary G

    July 17, 2013 at 11:58 pm

    Congratulations to the four of you. Did he come right up to the foggiest or hang back a bit?

  109. 109.

    Wrye

    July 17, 2013 at 11:59 pm

    Very glad to see this! And if anyone is confused about why you went and got him so soon, just refer to Boss as a “therapy cat” and that should shut them up.

  110. 110.

    TaMara (BHF)

    July 18, 2013 at 12:01 am

    Baby we were born to run. Welcome Boss. Congrats John. And Tunchitude needs to be an official BJ word from this point forward. I suggest we agree we cannot cast a vote for any candidate unless he or she possesses the appropriate Tunchitude.

  111. 111.

    Redshirt

    July 18, 2013 at 12:01 am

    @Wayne t: Hmm, now that you mention it, the Malware attack can be seen as some Karmic Lightning, and Thunder.

  112. 112.

    NanerSalad

    July 18, 2013 at 12:02 am

    You the Boss, and so it begins. Had a polydactyl named Lover and he was my manager for 20 years.

  113. 113.

    Mararama

    July 18, 2013 at 12:02 am

    Welcome, Boss Cat. May you live long and boss all you survey!

  114. 114.

    mai naem

    July 18, 2013 at 12:04 am

    His paws are the cat equivalent of Wembley’s. Good lord. Huuuge!

  115. 115.

    Gustopher

    July 18, 2013 at 12:06 am

    That’s a good looking cat. Good name too, clearly named after Springsteen. I was just listening to “We Take Care Of Our Own” a little earlier.

  116. 116.

    Steeplejack

    July 18, 2013 at 12:08 am

    @Valdivia:

    Saw your message the other night. I think I read The Girl by the Lake (Karin Fossum?), but I haven’t seen the movie. I had it on the DVR for a while, but I didn’t get around to it before it got bumped for other stuff. I’ll look for it again.

  117. 117.

    p.a.

    July 18, 2013 at 12:08 am

    Well done. Welcome Boss. Best wishes to John and the Cole-ettes.

  118. 118.

    Violet

    July 18, 2013 at 12:12 am

    @kc: Yes, see this post: https://balloon-juice.com/2013/07/17/and-were-back-2/

  119. 119.

    Steeplejack

    July 18, 2013 at 12:16 am

    @Leslie:

    There was a note earlier that they lost some images in the effort to fix the malware problem. I hope they can get them back.

  120. 120.

    Alison

    July 18, 2013 at 12:17 am

    Yay blog is finally back for me!! Also HI NEW KITTY, you are super cute :) :)

  121. 121.

    rudderpedals

    July 18, 2013 at 12:21 am

    Look at the jowls on the boss. Good looking kitteh. I bet he’s a drooler. ++congrats

  122. 122.

    Quicksand

    July 18, 2013 at 12:22 am

    Boss Tonstrong

    What?

  123. 123.

    dance around in your bones

    July 18, 2013 at 12:31 am

    Well, he sure looks bossy – right up your alley John Cole.

    I have a feeling you two are going to be very happy together. Congratulations on your new cat! I’m sure the doggies will adjust fine.

  124. 124.

    kc

    July 18, 2013 at 12:36 am

    @Violet:

    Ah, thanks. I missed the bit about the images. Shoot.

    We need one more Tunch post then, with lots of pics.

  125. 125.

    SectionH

    July 18, 2013 at 12:38 am

    YESYESYES! I know none of you cynical fuckers will believe me, but srsly I thought of Springsteen as his name this afternoon. Do not ask why, but I did.

    His real names will be revealed to John in time, and,possibly not shared, but that’s cool.

    Go Boss!

    Now I’ll back,and read comments. (I Always read comments before I post, which is why I don’t post that much.)

  126. 126.

    Gemina13

    July 18, 2013 at 12:39 am

    Oh, what a handsome boy. :) Good for you, John. I hope you two have a long and enduring friendship.

  127. 127.

    MikeInSewickley

    July 18, 2013 at 12:50 am

    That is a good looking cat. And from your other posting – I love all animals but a cat provides a special mix of independence and devotion that only semi-domesticated animals can provide. They need you but on their terms.

    Best of luck to a new start. Tunch approves I’m sure.

  128. 128.

    Villago Delenda Est

    July 18, 2013 at 12:50 am

    And, John, never forget…

    He IS the boss of you.

  129. 129.

    Cookie Monster

    July 18, 2013 at 1:48 am

    Random trivia from the mists of time and half a world away…

    Boss Cat was the name “Top Cat” (the Hanna-Barbera cartoon) was known by from the mid-60s thru the mid-80s in the UK, because “Top Cat” was a brand of cat food, and the BBC — who showed the cartoon at that time — had (and probably still has — I’ve not lived there for a while) a ban on advertising/endorsing products.

    The theme and dialog remained the same, but it did have a rather crudely substituted title card, and the TV listings referred to the alternate moniker. Even as a kid, I was all “wtf…?”

    –CM

  130. 130.

    Pogonip

    July 18, 2013 at 4:04 am

    @Redshirt: You’ve been into the Boss’s nip again, haven’t you?

  131. 131.

    Rosalita

    July 18, 2013 at 6:55 am

    Rosalita thinks the Boss name is rockin’

  132. 132.

    p

    July 18, 2013 at 7:20 am

    purrfect
    whenever you think “who’s the boss?”, you’ll know it’s not you.
    of course tunch sent him to you.
    a paw in your face reaching through time and space, fat man.

  133. 133.

    skyweaver

    July 18, 2013 at 8:12 am

    Welcome, Boss! John, you’ve got a big ol’ heart. And yeah, Tunch sent him. I can’t wait to read more Boss stories. What do the girls think?

  134. 134.

    wormtown

    July 18, 2013 at 8:38 am

    Haven’t had time to read the whole thread, so maybe some one else mentioned this…..that is pretty close to how we used to call the cows at the end of the day to get them back to the barn: Come-buss; come-buss. Well, that’s how we did it in Western Mass, anyway….

  135. 135.

    ET

    July 18, 2013 at 9:14 am

    “met the new Boss, same as the old boss”

  136. 136.

    TAGinMO

    July 18, 2013 at 9:30 am

    @forked tongue: @wormtown: Wow. Just had a flashback to my childhood with that one. “Come-boss” was our standard cattle call, too.

  137. 137.

    schrodinger's cat

    July 18, 2013 at 9:37 am

    The original boss cataka Yogi approves.

  138. 138.

    tejanarusa

    July 18, 2013 at 10:13 am

    Mostly visit here and lurk, but the news about Tunch was so stunning, I’ve been coming back to see how John was doing. So pleased that the new Boss is helping him heal.
    Naming is hard. when I found myself with five newborn kittens I just ran out of names, and called one lovely girl “Miss Orange” for the duration of her life. She seemed not to mind.
    Her little sister, who is equally orange, but whose name was obviously “Squeaky,” is here on the window seat a few feet away.
    Bless you John (and I mean that in the most non-denominational, non-specific religious sense possible), and Tunch for helping you find your new Boss.

  139. 139.

    RSA

    July 18, 2013 at 10:31 am

    Welcome to the BJ community, Boss.

    Our Maine Coon mix looks a lot like Boss. Lessons we learned about the breed (though I may be over-generalizing):

    They are large and affectionate.
    They can be loud and demanding.
    They can climb. I’ve seen our cat climb ten or twelve feet up a tree, chasing a squirrel.
    They are not fast enough to catch squirrels.
    They are fast enough to catch lizards, voles, bats, and birds.
    They like to share their catches with us, often alive.

  140. 140.

    Mnemosyne

    July 18, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    @RSA:

    They like to share their catches with us, often alive.

    When your cat presents you with live prey, they’re trying to teach you how to hunt, because you obviously can’t take care of yourself, what with eating all of that food out of cans and boxes.

  141. 141.

    virginia

    July 18, 2013 at 3:53 pm

    Boss reminds me of the heart-stopping, jaw-dropping, ball-busting Sawyer from “Lost.” Same far away Hoss/Boss stare. Good for you, John Cole.

    Not to throw a bummer note into the mix, but I lost my most beloved dog many many decades ago to an automobile. And was never able to again commit to another pet fully because the heartbreak devastated me. I still cringe, wince, and shrink into myself when I think about what happened.

    I applaud you for forging ahead and honoring your beloved by loving again and anew. Very good looking individual and a big hug from me. I was late to the news and so felt your pain. Makes me happy, given another horrid week in USA news, to see this take place.

  142. 142.

    Ms. D. Ranged in AZ

    July 18, 2013 at 5:37 pm

    Wonderful! I used to have a cat that had similar markings around the eyes (named Freddy). Welcome to the newest member of the Cole household.

  143. 143.

    SamInMpls

    July 18, 2013 at 6:30 pm

    http://www.freeimagehosting.net/newuploads/b18zz.gif

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